Card-advancing mechanism



Nov. 10, 1964 CARDADVANCING MECHANISM Filed April 24. 1962 E. E. MASTERSON ETAL 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS. [AKA MASTEKSO/V ANTHOA X A AAcozz/Ala ATTORNEY Nov. 10, 1964 E. E. MASTERSON ETAL 3,155,463

CARD-ADVANCING MECHANISM Filed April 24, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f *waa ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,155,4ti3 Patented Nov. 263, 1964 3,156,463 CARD-ADVANCING MECHANESM Earl E. Masterson, Weston, and Anthony B. liiagozzino,

Ridgeiieid, Conn assignors to Sperry Rand Qorporation, New York, N312, a corporation of Deiaware Edited Apr. 2 19b2, Ser. No. 18%,396 13 (Iiaims. (Q. 271-54) This invention relates to machinery for handling datatabulating cards. In particular, it concerns an improved mechanism for step-by-step advancing of such cards.

Conventional tabulating cards are widely used in a variety of data-processing applications. In many of these, high speed is a very important objective, both for reasons of economics, in View of the high cost of datarocessing machine time, and for the sake of compatibility with the great speeds attainable by electronic equipment. The latter need is seen, for example, in the case of a card-handling maclune such as a summary punch used in an on-line relationship with an electronic computer system. There the speed of the entire system is limited to that of the slowest component, usually a mechanical unit such as the card-handling machine. Consequently, it is desirable to design card-handling machinery capable of operating at high speeds.

But such high speed operation creates certain problems, for example the wear which occurs where there is rotary or reciprocating bearing contact between parts moving very rapidly in accordance with high speed dataprocessing requirements. Thus, as speeds go up, problems of lubrication are accentuated and the length of time that the machine can operate before such bearing parts require replacement or adjustment is sharply reduced. This is because the faster machines perform more operating cycles in the same time, and also because the amount of wear per cycle increases with operating speed.

information is entered on tabulating cards by coded combinations of holes punched in the cards. The various types of card-handling machinery in which the present invention may be used, are designed to punch and/or sense (i.e. read) such holes. in order to do this at the speeds desired, the equipment must deliver the cards along a feed path and and through a punching or reading sta tion at a rate of many hundreds of cards per minute. The

' punch areas on the cards are arranged in columns and rows having information or control significance. The reading and punching equipment is arranged to handle an entire line, for example a row of up to eighty punch cations, in a single operation. Since there may be many such rows on a card, after each operation the device must advance the card one row so that the following operation is performed upon the next succeeding row.

The object of this invention is a device for performing the stepwise or line-by-line advancing of the cards through the reading or punching station. It will be appreciated that for such a device the problem of frictional Wear at high operating speeds is many time more acute than it is even for the other parts of a card-handling machine, because while other parts may go through one operating cycle per card, the advancing mechanism we are concerned with performs an operating cycle for each row, and there may be, for example, twelve such rows on each card. Moreover, in certain applications there are times when the feeding of cards is temporarily halted, yet, because of certain operating requirements of the equipment, in order to be constantly ready for a resumption of operation the card-advancing mechanism may continue to go through its operating stroke, thus continuing to accumulate wear even While other components are idle.

In the past, such line-by-line card-advancing mechanisms have utilized bearings of the reciprocating or rotary type, both of which involve a high degree of sliding friction. An example of a mechanism of this type may be seen in US. Patent No. 3,017,077 of January 16, 1962. At the high speeds attained by modern data-card-handling machinery in general and line-by-line advancing mechanisms in particular, such bearings require lubrication and are subject to frictional wear requiring adjustment and/ or replacement.

It is therefore broadly an object of this invention to provide a card-advancing mechanism which alleviates the problem of wear. More particularly, this invention aims to provide a mechanism of this type which eliminates sliding friction in the suspension of the card-advancing member. An additional object is to provide a suspension for a card-advancing member which has no backlash. A further object is to provide a suspension for a card-advancing mechanism which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

A further disadvantage of prior structures relates to the temporary halting of the card-feed while the card-advancing mechanism continues to go through its operating stroke. Under these conditions it is found that there is a further wearing of the cards, and of portions of the cardhandling machine in addition to the card-advancing mechanism. Therefore it is an additional object of the invention to prevent such further wear.

An illustrative example of a card-advancing mechanism embodying this invention and exhibiting these and other advantageous features comprises a support and at least one flexible mounting member secured to the support and projecting therefrom. The card-advancing member is then mounted on the projecting part of the mounting member, and the latter is sufficiently bendable to permit the card-advancing member to move relative to the support through its card-advancing stroke.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the card-advancing member is selectively retracted from contact with the data cards and the bed plate therebelow during the time that cards are not being fed, and is moved back into operative position thereafter. The mechanism for retracting the card-advancing member is also of lowwear construction, in accordance with the principles referred to above.

As an alternative feature of the invention, there is provided a means for disengaging the card-advancing member from its drive while the latter continues to operate. This includes an armature secured to the caradvancing member and positioned to be engageable by its reciprocating driver. Cooperating therewith are means on the driver adapted to releasably engage the armature to establish a iii-directional driving connection to the cardadvancing member. An electromagnet is fixed near one of the limits of reciprocation of the armature and is adapted to, when energized, magnetically engage the armature to latch the card-advancing member in its limit position and thereby disrupt the driving connection. Then means, which may be under some kind of automatic control, are provided to energize the electromagnet so as to select between operation and idling of the cardadvancing member.

The device, of which the foregoing is a brief summary, may be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are as follows:

FIG. IA is a side elevational view of a card-advancing mechanism embodying features of this invention;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged detail of a portion of PEG. IA;

FIG. IC is a side elevational View, similar to FIG. IA, of a card-advancing mechanism embodying further features of this invention;

FIG. HA is a perspective view of an alternative drivessence o) ing mechanism for the card-advancing structure of FIG. IA; and

FIG. llB is a schematic diagram illustrating electrical and electromechanical details of the structure of FIG. HA.

The Card-Advancing Device Suspension Referring specifically to the drawings, FIG. IA shows a line-by-line card-advancing mechanism designed for use in an operating (i.e. reading or punching) station h of any type of data-card-handling' device. The term line-by-line is used in this specification and the appended claims to include either a row-by-row or columnby-column card feed, but the particular mechanism used herein to illustrate the invention is of the row by-row type. This mechanism includes a bed plate it? which acts as the base for a feed path over which the data cards such as C are advanced through the reading or punching station. The cards lie flat over the bed plate ill and are fed thereacross from left to right as seen in H6. TA, with each card having its width dimension (the direction of a column of hole locations) arranged in the left-right direction, and its length dimension (the direction of a row of hole locations) extending perpendicularly to the plane of the drawing. Thus, as each card is advanced to the right through the operating station, one row after another reaches the place at which holes will be punched or read.

The cards are initially delivered to the operating station 9 by a pair of cooperating upper and lower feed rollers ii, the lower one of which operates through a suitable aperture ltia in the bed plate it). The lower roller is relieved over a portion of its periphery at Illa, so that for a part of each cycle the rollers llll are disengaged from the card C. During that interval, advancing of the card C is performed under the influence of a stepwise cardadvancing device, generally designated 12, which advances the card through the operating station 9 one row at a time so that each individual row is handled in one unit operation. This device 12 includes a row of twelve (one for each hole row) flexible spring steel pusher blades 14 (of which four are shown) and a blade carriage 16 overhanging the bed plate ll) which mounts this row of pusher blades 14 with each blade extending therefrom diagonally downward and in the direction of the card feed. The lower tip of each pusher blade 14 is flexed resiliently against the bed plate it) and/or against any data cards that may be on the bed plate directly below the advancing device 12. As is presently known in the art, the cardadvancing device 12 is reciprocated horizontally through a stroke having an amplitude of slightly more than one data card row, that is, slightly more than the distance which must be advanced after each operation to move the next succeeding row into operating position. On each forward stroke the one of the pusher blades 14 which happens to be slightly to the rear of the trailing edge E of the data card C will approach and engage that edge, and then successive pusher blades 14 are horizontally spaced one row apart. Therefore on the return stroke, since the card is now advanced one row to the right, the next pusher blade to the right of the one which previously ongaged the card will be drawn back over the card and will drop a short distance behind the trailing edge thereof and thus be in a position to exert the next forward push. In this manner, the card is relayed forward from blade to blade to effect a series of one-row advances.

In accordance with this invention, there is provided a suspension for the card-advancing device 12 which permits it to reciprocate very rapidly through its advancing stroke but which avoids the various disadvantages of bearings with their attendant rotary or reciprocating friction. Four mounting members 2d (only two of which are visible in FIG. TA), consisting of flexure springs made of strip-shaped leaves of high quality flexible sheet material, suspend the card-advancing device 12 at the four corners thereof, and bend to allow it the required latitude of horizontal movement. At their upper ends, these mounting springs TAB are secured to a supporting member 22 by means of pairs of clamping bars 24 and 26 which clasp the ends of the supporting springs between them, the entire assembly being secured to the supporting member 22 by bolts 28.

A similar structure is used to engage the lower ends of the mounting springs 13%, consisting of clamping bars 353 and clamping brackets 32 secured by bolts 34 with the lower ends of the mounting springs in clasped therebetween. The clamping brackets have horizontal extensions 32a which are secured to the blade carriage 16 by bolts such as 36. In order to permit the necessary bending of the supporting springs Ztl, the clamping bars and clamping brackets are provided with gentle curvatures as indicated at th in FIGS. IA and B so as to minimize the tendency for the bending stresses exerted on the supporting springs to be concentrated at the point where they emerge from between the clamping bars and brackets.

The horizontal oscillating drive for the advancing member is provided by a rotating drive shaft 5t) carrying a gear 52 which drives an idler gear 54 mounted on an auxiliary shaft 56. The idler gear 5 in turn drives a gear 58 affixed to an advancing device drive shaft as which carries on both ends thereof eccentric pins 62. The latter are received at the center of bearings 6 mounted in yokes 66 formed on reciprocating drivers 68, which have extension arms 70. Only one each of the elements 624 i) is seen in the side view of FIG. IA. As pins 62 rotate eccentrically, they crank the yokes 66 through a motion having both horizontal and vertical components. In order to transmit only the horizontal component of this motion to the advancing device 12, there are provided flexure springs '72, one of which is seen. One end of each such spring is secured to one of the extension arms '70 by bolts 74, and the other end to the blade carriage 16 by bolts '76. In view of the short strokes involved, flexure springs '72 are able to operate both in tension and in compression to transmit horizontal oscillating motion to the advancing device 12, while flexing slightly to accommodate the vertical rocking of the extension arms 7tl which results from the vertical motion of the yokes 66.

The solid lines of the drawing illustrate the advancing device 12 in its fully rearward position, after it has been drawn back to pull the first pusher blade 14 behind the trailing edge E of the card C, and before beginning the forward stroke which will advance the card to the next row position. It is readily seen from the drawings that it is the bending of the mounting springs 20 which allows the advancing device 12 to be drawn to this position by the reciprocating driver es. The fully advanced position of the advancing device 12 is illustrated by the broken lines of FIG. IA, showing that it is again the bending of the mounting springs 20 which permits the reciprocating driver 68 to move the advancing device 12 to that position. The flat shape of the springs 2d is adapted to permit this reciprocating motion perpendicular to the planes that the springs define, yet it offers sufficient rigidity parallel to those planes to restrain motion in any direction other than perpendicular thereto.

Because of the fact that the mounting springs 20 are clamped fast to the supporting member 22 and advancing device 112, there is not the looseness that would normally be caused by a suspension employing conventional bearings and pivots, and consequently this reduces the tendency for the advancing device 12 to backlash at either of its limit positions.

Other important advantages of this construction arise from the fact that at high punching or reading rates of, for example, rows per second, frictional bearings and pivots in an advancing device suspension are subject to wear due to rubbing friction, but the mounting springs 2t? of this invention alleviate this problem because they are entirely without rubbing friction. There is, of course, a great deal of flexing of the mounting springs 20 which creates internal stresses, but if their effect on the life of the springs is reduced by using materials such as steel, beryllium copper, or Phosphor bronze, and by choosing dimensions such that the springs operate well within the static and dynamic stress and fatigue limits of the material, then the life of such a flexure spring suspension is relatively long even under demanding conditions. In addition, there is the advantage that no lubrication or adjustment of the suspension is ever required. Furthermore, the springs 20 may be inexpensively stamped from suitable sheet material, and their tolerances are not as critical as those of conventional bearings and pivots.

It will, of course, be realized that another consequence of the use of such a flexure spring suspension is that the horizontal oscillating motion of the advancing device 12 acquires a small vertical component, since its motion takes on some of the characteristics of the swing of a pendulum. In a particular embodiment in accordance with the foregoing description, it was observed that the total rise from the lowest position of the advancing device 12 at the center of its horizontal stroke to the highest position at either limit of that stroke was a total of 0.009 inch, which exceeds the total 0.007 inch thickness of a conventional data-processing card. In spite of this, it has been determined that such a rise does not disrupt the engagement of the pusher blades 14- against the trailing edge E of the card C. One reason is that although the total rise of the advancing device 12 may be greater than the thickness of the tabulating card C, such height is not achieved until the advancing device is close to the limits of its horizontal travel, the advancing device is less than 0.007 inch above its bottom position and therefore the pusher blades 14 would in any event remain in engagement with the edge of the card C. In addition, the flexibility of the pusher blades 14 enables them to be compressed against the bed plate and data card C when the advancing device 12 is at its lowest position, and thus to spring back and remain in engagement with the edge E during the remaining 0.002 inch of the rise of the advancing device 12. As a result of these two features, it has been found that the use of a flexure spring suspension does not cause the pusher blades 14 to lose their driving engagement with the card edge E. In addition, the use of mounting springs at both the leading and trailing ends of the advancing device 12 results in a kind of rectangular linkage which keeps the advancing device in a horizontal attitude so that it does not tip up as it reciprocates and thereby cause the blades 14 to lose their engagement.

Disengagement Mechanism; First Alternative In some tabulating card applications it is necessary, from time to time, to halt the feeding of cards through the operating station 9. For example, with reference to FIG. 1C, it may be necessary to stop a card D as it enters a punching station 9 but before it is advanced therethrough by the advancing mechanism 12, so that information printed on the face of the card D can be scanned and read by character recognition equipment and then subsequently punched on the card when line-by-line advancing thereof is resumed. In such circumstances the drive mechanism 68, etc., for the advancing device 12 is kept running so as to be constantly ready for the resumption of advancing operations, since the inertia thereof is such that a delay in accelerating the drive might impair the critical timing relationships between the punching equipment and the subsequent line-by-line advance of the card. In the system employed by some prior machines, at such times the advancing device 12 would continue to move under the influence of its reciprocating drive 68, etc., while the pusher blades 14 thereof remained in contact with the bed plate 10 and/ or any card D then at the threshold of the operating station 9; such card D not being far enough advanced for its trailing edge E to be engaged by any of the pusher blades 14 as in the case of the card C illustrated in FIG. 1A, but being far enough advanced for its forward portion F to be below at least some of the pusher blades 14. And as seen in FIG. 1C, those pusher blades 14 which are too far forward to touch the card D touch instead the bed plate 10. Since the blades 14 are slightly compressed against the card D and bed plate 10, this would cause a problem of wear of both the cards and the mechanism because of the high pressure scrubbing of the tips of the pusher blades over the card and bed plate. Therefore, further in accordance with this invention, there is provided a mechanism which selectively lifts the moving advancing device 12 to take the pusher blades 14 out of contact with the bed plate 10 and/ or card D when no card is being fed. As seen in FIG. IC, the support 22, from which the advancing device 12 is suspended by the mounting springs 20, is itself moveably suspended at each corner by means of four similar but horizontally oriented mounting springs 80, of which tWo are visible in the drawings. The support 22 includes clamping blocks 82 to which the springs 30 are clamped by means of clamping bars 84 secured to the blocks 32 by bolts 86. The other ends of the springs are similarly clamped to the fixed frame 88 of the card-handling machine by means of a clamping bar 90 and a clamping bracket 92 secured thereto by bolts such as 94.

In the clamping of these springs 80, the same precautions are observed for avoiding stress concentration, in that there are provided generous curvatures similar to the curvatures 40 seen in FIGS. IA and B. The inherent flexibility of the springs 84 allows the support 22 to be raised and lowered a sul'ficient amount to lift the advancing device 12 out of contact with the card D and thereafter to lower it back into operative engagement therewith. Limiting lugs project from the ends of the support 22 into recesses 112 formed respectively within the frame 83 and between the frame and the clamping bracket 92. Limiting bolts 114 are threaded in the frame 88 and bracket 92 and protrude therefrom to contact the lugs 110, establishing upper and lower limit positions for the lugs and thus for the support 22. These limit positions are adjustable by turning the bolts 114, and lock nuts 116 are provided to secure the bolts in position after the desired adjustment has been achieved.

In order to raise and lower the support 22 and thus the advancing device 12 at the proper times, there is provided a bracket 120 bolted to the support and a link 122 pivotally connected thereto by a pin 124. A lever 126 is pivoted upon a shaft 128, the short arm of this lever 126 being pivotally connected to the link 122 by a pin 130 so that clockwise rotation of the lever about its fulcrum (shaft 128) drives the link 122 downwardly to effect the desired lowering of the support 22 and advancing device 12. To power this downward motion a solenoid 132 secured to another part of the fixed machine frame 88 has its armature 134 connected to the long arm of the lever 126. The connection is made by means of a block 136 which is rotatably secured to the armature 134 by a pin 138 and which rides slideably within a slot 126a formed in the lever 126. The fact that the block 136 slides with respect to the lever 126 and rotates with respect to the armature 134 allows the reciprocating motion of the armature to be coupled to the pivotal motion of the lever. When the solenoid 132 is energized, which may occur under automatic control of the cardhandling machine or a central computer, or under operator control if desired, armature 134 is retracted, thus rotating the lever 126 clockwise as required for driving the advancing device 12 down against the data card D, the position illustrated in the drawing. A return spring 14.0 is connected at one end to a pin 142 on the long arm of the lever 126, its other end being connected to any suitable place on the machine frame to provide a restoring force which raises all the previously lowered parts to their Original positions after such energization is terminated.

Here, too, it is seen that the mounting springs till which suspend the support 22 from the frame 88 provide an inexpensive, no-friction, no-backlash, no-lubrication, longlived mounting.

Disengagement Mechanism; Second Alternative In accordance with an alternative feature of this invention, there is provided another way of preventing scrubbing of the card D and bed plate 310 during a temporary halt in operation. In this embodiment the advancing device is disengaged from its drive, instead of from the card and bed plate. This has the additional advantage of cutting down the total operating time, and thus the total wear, of the advancing mechanism. In this structure, as shown in FIG. HA, the advancing device 12' is seen to be supported as before by means of fiexure springs 20, and a pair of reciprocating drive arms 68' are horizontally oscillated by means of an eccentric drive, in this case a pair of bearings 160 which are centrally rotatable within the yokes 66 formed on the reciprocating drive arms 68' but which are eccentrically mounted upon a rotating drive shaft 6&9. As a further feature, the projecting ends of the reciprocating drive arms 68' are suspended against vertical movement by flexure springs 162 which, however, bend to allow the appropirate degree of horizontal movement to the reciprocating drive arms 6%. The upper ends of these springs 162 may be anchored upon a portion (not shown) of the fixed machine frame. All the flexure springs 2d and 162 are clamped at both ends using gentle curvatures in the same manner as shown in the preceding figures.

An armature 164 consisting of a bar of magnetic material is secured to the top surface of the blade carriage 1d, and is situated forwardly of the reciprocating drive arms 68 and directly in the path of their forward advancing stroke, which is from right to left as seen in FIGURE IIA. A core bar 166 connected between the forwardly projecting ends of the reciprocating drive arms 68- therefore makes mechanical engagement with the armature 166 to drive the armature and the advancing device 12 forwardly (to the left) during the advancing stroke of the arms 63.

During the return stroke of the reciprocating drive arms 68', which is rearwardly or to the right in FIG. HA, there is no mechanical driving engagement between the bar 166 and the armature 164, but a magnetic engagement is provided by means of a solenoid coil 168 wound about the bar 165 in the manner seen in FIG. HE. When the coil 158 is energized, the bar 165 becomes an electromagnet and attracts the armature 1'54 and the advancing device 12 rearwardly with it during its return stroke. Therefore, during energization of the coil 168, the electromagnet 166, 168 establishes a bi-direction-al driving connection to the armature 164;- and thus to the advancing device 12'.

When it is desired to disrupt this driving connection, a switch 169 (FIG. HE) is thrown to terminate energization of the coil res and energize instead another solenoid coil 17ft Wired as seen in FIG. I113. The latter coil, along with its core bar 172, which is secured in any conventional manner by means of lugs 174 to a portion (not shown) of the fixed frame of the machine, forms a second electromagnet Which is fixed in position at the forward limit of reciprocation of the armature 164. When energization is thus shifted from the moving electromagnet res, 158 to the fixed electromagnet 170, 172 the latter latches the armature 164 and advancing device 12 in their respective forward limit positions and thereby disrupts the bi-directional driving connection so that the advancing device does not return with the reciprocating drive arms 68. In this manner, the advancing device 12' is held idle in its forward limit position While the reciprocating drive arms 6% continue to operate. It will be appreciated that in addition to avoiding scrubbing of 8 the card and bed plate by the pusher blades, this saves wear on the advancing mechanism during the time that its operation can be dispensed with.

When it is desired to resume operation of the advancing device 12, energization is switched back to the moving electromagnet 166, 168 by means of switch 169. Each of the electromagnets 166, 15% and 17%, 172 is designed to have sufl'icient attractive force when energized to override any residual magnetism remaining in the core oar ice or 17% of the other electromagnet after energization of the latter has been terminated. Thus, the switch in? controls which of the two electromagnets governs the armature laid, and in that manner selects between operation or idling of the advancing device 12'. The switch let? can in turn be under automatic control of the card-handling machine or a central computer, or can be operated manually if desired.

It will now be appreciated that the improvements disclosed herein make it possible to construct an advancing mechanism which is far less subject to frictional wear, which is free of backlash and the need for lubrication, which also reduces wear on the data cards on which it operates, and which in one embodiment can be disengaged when desired to further reduce wear.

The foregoing illustrates preferred ways of practicing this invention; but since there may be countless other specific applications of the same principles, the scope of protection is not limited to any particular examples, but is defined more generally in the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. A repetitive material-advancing mechanism comprising:

(a) a support;

(17) at least one flexible mounting member secured to the support and projecting in a selected direction therefrom;

(c) and a material-advancing device including a plurality of material-engaging means arranged to operatively engage the material in succession for repetitive advancing thereof when the material-advancing device is reciprocated in a direction transverse to the selected direction;

((1) the material-advancing device being mounted on the projecting part of the mounting member;

(e) the mounting member being sufliciently bendable to permit the material-advancing device to be so reciprocated relative to the support.

2. In a data-card-handling machine including a feed path over which data cards are to be advanced and an operating station along the feed path adapted to treat one line of a data card per operation, a mechanism for lineby-line advancing of a card through the operating statron, comprising:

(a) a feed path bed underlying the operating station;

(1;) a support over the bed;

(0) at least one flexible leaf secured to the support and depending therefrom;

(d) a line-by-line card-advancing device suspended over the bed on the depending part of the leaf;

(e) and means for driving the card-advancing device through a horizontal card-advancing stroke of one line amplitude;

(f) the leaf being sufiiciently bendable horizontally to permit the card-advancing device to move relative to the support through such card-advancing stroke.

3. In a data-card-handling machine including an operating station adapted to treat one line of a data card per operation, a mechanism for line-by-line advancing of a card through the operating station, comprising:

(a) a support adjacent the operating station;

(b) at least one flexible mounting member secured to the support and projecting therefrom;

(c) a line-by-line card-advancing device mounted on the projecting part of the mounting member;

(d) and means for driving the card-advancing device 9 through a card-advanclng stroke of one line amplitude;

(e) the mounting member being sufliciently bendable to permit the card-advancing device to move relative to the support through such a card-advancing stroke.

4. In a dataacard-handling machine including a feed path over which data cards are to be advanced and an operating station adapted to treat one line of a data card per operation, a mechanism for line-by-line advancing of a card through the operating station, comprising:

a a feed path bed underlying the operating station;

(b) a support over the bed;

(4). spaced-apart flexible leaves secured to the support and depending therefrom;

(d) a line-by-line card-advancing device having leading and trailing ends each suspended over the bed on the depending parts of respective leaves;

(e) and means for driving the card-advancing device through a horizontal card-advancing stroke of one line amplitude;

(f) the leaves being suliiciently bendable horizontally to permit the card-advancing device to move relative to the support through such a card-advancing stroke.

5. In a data-card-handling machine including a feed path over which data cards are to be advanced and an operating station adapted to treat one line of a data card per operation, a mechanism for line-by-line advancing of a card through the operating station, comprising:

(a) a feed path bed underlying the operating station;

(2)) a support over the bed;

() four flexible leaves secured to the support and depending therefrom;

(cl) a line-by-line card-advancing device of substantially rectangular horizontal section, each corner of which is suspended over the bed on the depending part or" a respective one of the leaves;

(e) and means for driving the card-advancing device through a horizontal card-advancing stroke of one line amplitude;

(f) the leaves being sufiiciently bendable horizontally to permit the card-advancing device to move relative to the support through such a card-advancing stroke.

6. In a data-card-handling machine operable through card-advancing and idling phases:

(a) a card-advancing device;

(b) means mounting the card-advancing device for reciprocating card-advancing movement in a first direction, and also for engaging and retracting movement in a direction transverse to the first direction;

(0) and mews for automatically retracting the cardadvancing device a predetermined distance in the transverse direction to disengage it from the cards in response to an indication of an idling phase, and automatically returning the card-advancing device to a position of engagement with the cards in response to an indication of a card-advancing phase.

7. In a data-card-handling machine operable through card-advancing and idling phases:

(a) a substantially horizontal feed path bed over which data cards are to be advanced;

(b) a card-advancing device suspended over the feed path bed to engage the data cards from above;

(0) means mounting the card-advancing device for substantially horizontal reciprocation for adavncing cards across the feed path bed and also for substantially vertical movement;

(d) and means for automatically lifting the card-advancing device a predetermined distance and out of contact with the cards and the feed path bed in response to an indication of an idling phase, and automatically returning the card-advancing device to a position of engagement with the cards in response to an indication of a card-advancing phase.

8. A sheet-advancing mechanism comprising:

(a) a frame;

(b) a feed path bed mounted on the frame, over which sheet-like material is to be advanced;

(c) a support;

(d) a sheet-advancing device over the feed path bed for engaging the sheet from above;

(e) means mounting the sheet-advancing device on the support for substantially horizontal reciprocation of the sheet-advancing device through successive sheetadvancing strokes;

(f) at least one substantially horizontally oriented flexible member mounting the support upon the frame and being sufiiciently bendable to permit substantially vertical movement of the support for raising and lowering or" the sheet-advancing device;

(g) means for selectively lowering the support whereby to move the sheet-advancing device down into operative engagement with the sheet;

(It) and means for moving the support upwardly to thereafter lift the sheet-advancing device out of contact with the sheet.

9. A sheet-advancing mechanism operable through cardadvancing and idling phases comprising:

(a) a frame;

(52) a feed path bed mounted on the frame, over which sheet-like material is to be advanced;

(c) a support;

(cl) a sheet-advancing device over the feed path bed for engaging the sheet from above;

(2) means mounting the sheet-advancing device on the support for substantially horizontal reciprocation of the sheet-advancing device through successive sheet advancing strokes;

(f) at least one substantially horizontally oriented flexible leaf mounting the support upon the frame and being sutliciently bendable to permit substantially vertical movement of the support for raising and lowering of the sheet-advancing device;

g) solenoid-actuated means for lowering the support whereby to move the sheet-advancing device down into operative engagement with the sheet in response to energization indicating a sheet-advancing phase and releasing the downward force on the support in response to de-energization indicating an idling phase;

(it) and means biasing the support upwardly for thereafter lifting the sheet-advancing device out of contact with the sheet.

10. A sheet-advancing mechanism comprising:

(a) a frame;

(b) a feed path bed mounted on the frame, over which sheet-like material is to be advanced;

(c) a support having opposite ends;

(d) a sheet-advancing device over the feed path bed for engaging the sheet from above;

(a) means mounting the sheetaadvancing device on the support for substantially horizontal reciprocation of the sheet-advancing device through successive sheetadvancing strokes;

(f) a plurality of substantially horizontally oriented flexible leaves respectively mounting the opposite ends of the support upon the frame and being sufficiently bend-able to permit substantially vertical movement of the support for raising and lowering of the sheetadvancing device;

(g) means for selectively lowering the support whereby to move the sheet-advancing device down into operative engagement with the sheet;

(/1) and means for moving the support upwardly to thereafter lift the sheet-advancing device out of contact With the sheet.

11. A sheet-advancing mechanism operable through card-advancing and idling phases comprising:

(a) a frame;

(b) a feed path bed mounted on the frame, over which sheet-like material is to be advanced;

(c) a support;

(d) a sheet-advancing device over the feed path bed for engaging the sheet from above;

(e) means mounting the sheet-advancing device on the support for substantially horizontal reciprocation of the sheet-advancing device through successive sheetadvancing strokes;

(f) substantially horizontally oriented flexible leaves respectively mounting the support upon the frame and being sumciently bendable to permit substantially vertical movement of the support for raising and lowering of sheet-advancing device;

(g) means for automatically lowering the support a predetermined distance whereby to move the sheetadvancing device down int-o operative engagement with the sheet in response to energization indicating a sheet-advancing phase and releasing the downward force on the support in response to de-energization indicating an idling phase; a

(h) and means for moving the support upwardly to thereafter lift the sheet-advancing device out of contact with the sheet.

12. A sheet-advancing mechanism comprising:

(a) a frame;

(b) a feed path bed on the frame, over which sheet-like material is to be advanced;

(c) a support;

(d) a sheet-advancing device over the feed path bed for engaging the sheet from above;

(e) at least one substantially vertically oriented flexible member mounting the sheet-advancing device upon the support and being sufficiently bendable to permit substantially horizontal reciprocation of the sheetadvancing device through successive sheet-advancing strokes;

(f) at least one further flexible member substantially horizontally oriented and mounting the support upon the frame and being sufiiciently bendable to permit substantially vertical movement of the support for raising and lowering of the sheet-advancing device;

(g) means for selectively lowering the support to move the sheet-advancing device down into operative engagement with the sheet;

(11) and means for moving the support upwardly to thereafter lift-the sheet-advancing device out of contact with the sheet.

13. A sheetadvancing mechanism operable through card-advancing and idling phases comprising:

(a) a frame;

(b) a feed path bed on the frame, over which sheetlike material is to be advanced;

(c) a support;

(d) a sheet-advancing device over the feed path bed for engaging the sheet from above;

(e) at least one substantially vertically oriented flexible leaf mounting the sheet-advancing device upon the support and being sufficiently bendable to permit substantially horizontal reciprocation of the sheet-advancing device through successive sheet-advancing strokes;

(f) at least one further flexible leaf substantially horizontally oriented and mounting the support upon the frame and being sufficiently bendable to permit substantially vertical movement of the support for raising and lowering of the sheet-advancing device;

(g) means for automatically lowering the support a predetermined distance to move the sheet-advancing device down into operative engagement with the sheet in response to energization indicating a sheet-advancing phase and releasing the downward force on the suport in response to de-energizati'on indicating an idling phase;

(h) and means for moving the support upwardly to thereafter lift the sheet-advancing device out of contact with the sheet.

14. A mechanical movement comprising:

(a) a reciprocable member;

(b) a reciprocating driver;

(c) an armature secured to the reciprocable member and positioned to be engageable by the reciprocating driver;

(d) means on the reciprocating driver adapted to releasably engage the armature to establish a bi-directional driving connection to the reciprocable member;

(e) and an electromagnet fixed near one of the limits of reciprocation of the armature and adapted to, when energized, magnetically engage the armature to latch the reciprocable member in the limit position thereof and thereby disengage the reciprocable member from the reciprocating driver.

15. A mechanical movement comprising:

(a) a member reciprocable in a forward and rearward direction;

(11) a reciprocating driver operable in the aforesaid directions;

(0) an armature secured to the reciprocable member forwardly of the reciprocating driver and interposed in the path of reciprocation thereof whereby the reciprocating driver establishes a mechanical driving connection thereto during its forward stroke;

(d) means on the reciprocating driver adapted to magnetically engage the armature to establish a rearwardly driving connection to the reciprocable member;

(e) and an electromagnet fixed near the forward limit of reciprocation of the armature and adapted to, when energized, magnetically engage the armature and override the attraction of the magnetic means on the reciprocating driver whereby to latch the reciprocable member in the limit position thereof and thereby to disengage the reciprocable member from the reciprocating driver.

16. A mechanical movement comprising:

(a) a member reciprocable in a forward and rearward direction;

(b) a reciprocating driver operable in the aforesaid directions;

(0) an armature secured to the reciprocable member forwardly of the reciprocating driver and interposed in the path of reciprocation thereof whereby the reciprocating driver establishes a mechanical driving connection thereto during its forward stroke;

(d) an electromagnet on the reciprocating driver positioned and adapted to, when energized, magnetically engage the armature to establish a rearwardly driving connection thereto;

(e) another electromagnet fixed near the forward limit of reciprocation of the armature and adapted to, when energized, magnetically engage the armature to latch the reciprocable member in the limit position thereof and thereby disengage the reciprocable member from the reciprocating driver;

(1) and means for switching energization alternatively to one or the other of the electromagnets to select between operation and idling of the reciprocable member.

17. A material-advancing mechanism comprising:

(a) a material-advancing device;

(b) means mounting the material-advancing device for reciprocating material-advancing movement;

(0) a reciprocating driver;

(d) an armature secured to the material-advancing device and positioned to be engageable by the reciprocating driver;

(6) means on the reciprocating driver adapted to releasably engage the armature to establish a bi-directional driving connection to the material-advancing device;

(1) an electromagnet fixed near one of the limits of reciprocation of the armature and adapted to, when 113 energized, magnetically engage the armature to latch the material-advancing device in the limit position thereof and thereby disengage the material-advancing device from the reciprocating driver;

(g) and means for selectively energizing the electromagnet to choose between operation and idling of the material-advancing device.

18. A material-advancing mechanism comprising:

(a) a support;

(1)) at least one flexible leaf secured to the support and projecting therefrom;

(c) a material-advancing device mounted on the projecting part of the leaf;

(d) the leaf being sufl'lciently bendable to permit the material-advancing device to move relative to the support through a material-advancing stroke;

(6) a reciprocating driver;

(1) an armature secured to the material-advancing device and positioned to be engageable by the reciprocating driver;

(g) means on the reciprocating driver adapted to re- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,433,951 Kendall Oct. 31, 1922 2,694,758 Keen Nov. 16, 1954 2,845,804 Lambert Aug. 5, 1958 3,017,077 Herpin Jan. 16, 1962 3,041,964 Simpson et al. July 3, 1962 

1. A REPETITIVE MATERIAL-ADVANCING MECHANISM COMPRISING: (A) A SUPPORT; (B) AT LEAST ONE FLEXIBLE MOUNTING MEMBER SECURED TO THE SUPPORT AND PROJECTING IN A SELECTED DIRECTION THEREFROM; (C) AND A MATERIAL-ADVANCING DEVICE INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF MATERIAL-ENGAGING MEANS ARRANGED TO OPERATIVELY ENGAGE THE MATERIAL IN SUCCESSION FOR REPETITIVE ADVANCING THEREOF WHEN THE MATERIAL-ADVANCING DEVICE IS RECIPROCATED IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE SELECTED DIRECTION; (D) THE MATERIAL-ADVANCING DEVICE BEING MOUNTED ON THE PROJECTING PART OF THE MOUNTING MEMBER; (E) THE MOUNTING MEMBER BEING SUFFICIENTLY BENDABLE TO PERMIT THE MATERIAL-ADVANCING DEVICE TO BE SO RECIPROCATED RELATIVE TO THE SUPPORT. 